12 March, 2014

Bend, But Don’t Break

One of my fondest memories as a
child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy
the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps
of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees.

I would also watch the bamboo
trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to
their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo
tree’s ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word
resilience comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means
the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation
that stretches the limits of a person’s emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are
about to snap Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point
Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it. During
the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health.
You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured
unpleasant physical symptoms.

Life is a mixture of good times
and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are
experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to
your breaking point then bend but don’t break. Try your best not to let the
situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you
through the unpleasant ordeal. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better
situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal
may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

If the going gets tough and you
are at your breaking point, show resilience like the bamboo tree, bend, but
don’t break!